Should you buy on-line, or shop at the high street?

Where and how to buy an orthopedic bed is an important decision. Today the internet opens up a new level of options and price savings and it is a cheaper and more "selection rich" alternative to the traditional high street retailer.

High street mattress retailer

• The advantage of buying a mattress from the high street is that you can physically see and test it. You can also obtain leaflets and first hand advice and you can find out about delivery and have a person to contact.
• You will usually see a range of mattresses at different price options and you may be able to negotiate a special deal when you visit in person.
• On the down side, modern mattresses like memory foam, latex foam and composite mattresse,s are very under represented in many of these stores, this makes it hard to have a good selection from which to choose. Furthermore, the overheads of these retailers tend to inflate their prices and often very significantly.

Buying through an on-line retailer

The obvious disadvantages of on-line retailers are the fact that you are in cyberspace rather than an actual showroom. You cannot see or test any product or speak to a human sales person.

There are however many advantages to buying on-line and these can be quite significant.

• Firstly, many of the main bed manufacturers (whose beds you see in high street stores) also sell direct via the internet, or through on-line agents. This means that you can usually see very big savings and you deal directly with the manufacturer, or their on-line sales division.
• Many manufacturers, or their on-line agents offer excellent return deals. These deals may allow you to return the bed up to 3 months after you have purchased it. This gives you ample time to test the mattress and return it if you are dis-satisfied.
• On-line sales often include additional sweeteners. Most memory foam beds and mattresses often have memory foam profiled pillows (or latex pillows)thrown in for free. This is actually a very significant give-away. Delivery also is usually free of charge for all but the cheapest budget mattresses.
• The mattresses that you buy on-line are nearly always the latest models. As with electronics, the most recent innovations hit the on-line retailers long before they reach the high street stores. Alternatively, manufacturers also periodically sell off older stock giving you the benefit of clearance prices, often at massive discounts.
• Ultimately, buying on-line has many advantages over the high street retailer and memory foam and latex foam mattresses tend to be purchased this way by most buyers.